Water, power, and speed control mechanism for concrete-mixing and similar machines



April 3, 1928. 1,665,050

\ C. F. BALL WATER, POWER, AND SPEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE 1 MIXING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Filed April 13, 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

gwuentoz attozmq April 3, 1928.

, C. F. BALL WATER, POWER, AND SPEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE MIXING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Filed April 13; 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 3, 1928. 1,665,050

c. F. BALL WATER, POWER, AND SPEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE,

MIXING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Filed April 13. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 and the cam lever 19 are so related to each other that they do'not come into operative engagement until the loading skip has been elevated well towards its charging position. Then, the contact comes into engagement with the lever and shifts it with a differential. moven'ient that properly determined by the shape of the cam surfaces of the leverltl engaged by the contact 18. his the lever is shifted from the position indicated in full lines, Fig. 1, to that represented in dotted lines, same figure, and also represented in F] 2, the shaft 30 and the arms 21 and 31 that it carries are oscillated, putting a stress on the cord 22, which transmitted to the spring 16, which extends, slackening the cord or cable 15 and allowing the lever 11 and operating rod 10 to come to normal. position, and permitting the governor to function in its normal automatic manner. The spring 16 is of less strength than is necessary to causethe levers 13 and 6 to be shifted, so that it will yield when the lever 19 is moved by the skip, without imparting motion to the clutch control lever 6, leaving that to be operated independently.

It will thus be seen that the mechanism described insures that the motor shallbe automatically speeded up, or supplied with an increased amount of operating force, whatever that be, during the early rising movements of the skip, and then gradually brought back to normal running condition as the skip reaches its final position of discharge, at which instant the connection with the source of power that causes the elevation of the skip is cut off. I provide also for operating the valves of the water tank 7 through the mechanism which has been described. '24 indicates a lever arranged to control and operate the outlet valve of the water tank. and 25 a lever that controls the inletvalve thereof. These levers are unite'd by a link 26 so they will move together, the link being preferably extensible as to its length to permit easy and accurate adjustment of the valves. The valves are so constructed and arranged that they work alternately, one opening as the other closes and vice versa, and the connections which operate them are such that the discharge valve is opened to permit flow of water to the mixing drum during the period that the skip is in an elevated position and only during that period. t

27 indicates a connection between the lever 19 and one of the valve levers of the water tank-the lever 24 in the arrangement illustrated. This connection is represented as being a cord that passes, in its course, over suitable directing and guiding pulleys 28. A spring 29 is interposed in thecourse of the cord preferably adjacent to its connection with the lever 19. By compressing the spring 29, the valves may be operated manually through a hand lever 38 connected by linkage to the arm 24% at the point34.

The arm 24 is also connected to a tension 7 spring 35 which normally keeps the discharge valve from the tank closedandthe inlet valve open.

As the skip in its upward movements carrice the pro ection 18 into engagement with the cam lever 19, as has been described, the latter is tilted to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, as the skip approaches its uppermost position. This movement puts stress upon the cord connection27 sufficient to shift the valves of the water tank, closing the inlet valve and opening the outlet valve to permit the water to be discharged from the tank 7 into the mixing drum.

As the proj ectio-n '18, on the upward move ment of the skip, comes into engagement with the cam lever 19 it first acts upon the forward part 36 of such lever, which is disposed at a sharp angle relative to the path of movement of the projection 18 and causes the valves of the water system to be shifted quickly. After this movement of the valves has fully taken place the projection comes into engagement with a curved surface 37 of the lever 19, which. is formed on an are the radius of which, as the projection '18 comes into engagement therewith, extends from theams 5 about which the skip' 1s turning, so that the further and final upward movements of the skip will impart no motion to the lever, but rather the engagement of the projection 18 with the curved surface 37 of the lever will operate to hold the valves in the position to which they have been moved. Upon the return, lowering, movement of the skip, the lever 19 comes to normal position, as represented in full lines,

Fig. 1. and the valves of the water tank are shifted. closing the outlet and opening the inlet, the shifting being effected by automatically operating mechanism, such as a spring 35,-in a well known manner.

i The lever 19 is arrested in its proper nor- 7 1. In concrete mixing apparatus, the combination with a motor for driving the same and a charging device therefor, of means for causing acceleration of the speed of the motor during the charging operation.

2. In a concrete mixing apparatus. the combination with the mixing drum, a charging device therefor, and a motor for operating these, ofmeans operating when the charging device is moving to position to charge the drum for causing acceleration of the speed of the motor.

3. In a concrete mixing apparatus, the combination with a mixing drum, a charging device therefor and a motor for operat ing these, of means arranged to operate, during the initial movements of the charging device toward charging position, to cause acceleration of the speed of the motor, and, during the final movements of such device, arranged to operate to restore the motor to normal running conditions.

4. In a concrete mixing apparatus, the combination with a mixing drum, a charging device therefor, and a motor for operating these, of means that are manually controlled arranged to cause acceleration of the speed of the motor during the initial move ments of the charging device toward charging position, and means automatically operated during the final movements of such device and arranged to operate to restore the motor to normal running conditions.

5. The combination with a mixing drum, a loading device, a motor provided with a governor device for driving these, and a control lever for the loading device, of a connection between the control lever and the governor device of the motor arranged to move the latter to cause acceleration of the motor when the lever is operated to cause the device to be moved to charging position.

6. A combination such as stated in claim 5 characterized by having the connection between the control lever and governor device include a flexible cord.

7. A combination such as stated in claim 5 characterized by having the connection between the control lever and governor device include an extensible spring.

8. A combination such as stated in claim 5 characterized by having the connection between the control lever and the governor device include a. foot piece by which the control lever may be. operated.

9. The combination with a mixing drum,

a loading device, a. motor provided with a governor device for driving these, and a control lever for the loading device, of a connection between the control lever and the governor device arranged to move the latter to reuse acceleration of the motor when the lever is. operated to cause the loading device to be moved toward charging position, and means operated by the loading device for restoring the governor to position for normal operation of the motor as the loader approaches its final position for discharge.

10. The combination with a mixing drum, a. loading device, a motor provided with a governor device for driving these, and a control lever for the loading device, of a connection between the control lever and the governor device arranged to move the latter to cause acceleration of the motor when the lever is operated to cause the loading device to be moved! toward charging position, a lever operated directly from the charging device as it approaches its final charging position, and connections between said lever and the connections leading to the governor device arranged to restore the latter to normal and a control lever for the loading skip, of.

connections between the control lever and the governor device including an intermediate lever, a cord between it and the governor device, and a spring between the lever and the cord, a lever operated directly from the loading device as it approachesthe limit of its movement toward charging position, and connections bet-ween such lever and the said cord including a second cord connected with the first between the spring and the governor device.

13. The combination with a. mixing drum, a loading device therefor, a motor provided with a governor device for driving these, a control leverfor the loading device, a tank from which water is intermittently discharged to the mixing drum, and inlet and outlet valves for the water tank, of a connection between the control lever and the governor arranged to move the latter to cause acceleration of the motor when the lever is operated to cause the loader to be moved toward charging position, and means operated from the loader for restoring the governor to normal condition as the skip approaches its: final position for discharge and also for operating the valves of the water tank to cause delivery of water to the mix ing drum.

let. The combination. with a rotating drum of a, concrete mixing machine, a charging device therefor, and a tank from which water is supplied to the drum, of inlet and outlet valves for the tank, levers connected with the valves for moving them and an extensible link between the lovers by which they are caused to move simultaneously and also permit-ting adjustment of the valves, and means for moving the levers, controlled by the movements of the loading device.

CHARLES F. BALL. 

